US2010130856A1PendingUtilityA1
Method and appaaratus for the elatographic examination of tissue
Est. expiryMay 8, 2027(~0.8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
G01R 33/56358A61B 8/08A61B 5/0051A61B 8/0883A61B 8/485A61B 5/055
33
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Cited by
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Claims
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for elastographically examining tissue. Said method comprises the following steps: at least one mechanical wave that oscillates primarily or exclusively perpendicular to the direction of propagation thereof is excited in the tissue ( 31 ) which has first elastic properties at least at one first point in time and second elastic properties differing from the first elastic properties at least at one second point in time; and a first deflection or deflection rate of an oscillation of the wave is determined at the first point in time as a measure of the first elastic properties, and a second deflection or deflection rate of an oscillation of the wave is determined at the second point in time as a measure of the second elastic properties. The invention further relates to an apparatus for elastographically examining tissue.
Claims
exact text as granted — not AI-modified1 . A method for the elastographic examination of tissue, comprising the following steps:
exciting at least one mechanical wave in the tissue, which wave oscillates predominately or exclusively transversely with respect to the direction of propagation thereof, wherein the tissue has first elastic properties at least a first point in time and second elastic properties at least a second point in time, which second elastic properties differ from the first elastic properties; and a first deflection or deflection rate of an oscillation of the wave is determined at the first point in time as a measure of the first elastic properties and a second deflection or deflection rate of an oscillation of the wave is determined at the second point in time as a measure of the second elastic properties.
2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the first and second deflection or deflection rate is determined by ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance imaging, and the tissue in which the wave is excited is a myocardial tissue which has elastic properties which vary in time depending on the heart beat.
3 . (canceled)
4 . (canceled)
5 . (canceled)
6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the first and the second deflection rate are determined in the form of a first and second amplitude of the deflection rate of the oscillation.
7 . (canceled)
8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the first and the second deflection or deflection rate is in each case determined separately for all components of the oscillation.
9 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the first and the second deflection or deflection rate is in each case determined in the form of the resultant of the oscillation.
10 . (canceled)
11 . (canceled)
12 . (canceled)
13 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the tissue has a shear modulus μ 1 at the first point in time and a shear modulus μ 2 at the second point in time and their ratio with respect to one another is determined on the basis of the first amplitude A 1 determined at the first point in time and the second amplitude A 2 determined at the second point in time according to the following equation:
μ
2
μ
1
=
(
A
1
A
2
)
4
14 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the deflections or deflection rates of the wave are determined at a number of points in time in order to determine a time profile of the deflection or the deflection rate.
15 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the first and the second amplitude of the deflection or the deflection rate of the oscillation are determined by means of a correlation between the time profile of the deflection or deflection rate and a harmonic oscillator function.
16 . The method as claimed in claim 15 , characterized in that the harmonic oscillator function has an oscillation frequency which corresponds to the frequency of the wave excited in the tissue.
17 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the first and the second deflection or deflection rate of the excited wave is determined using magnetic resonance imaging, wherein a phase signal depending on the deflection or deflection rate of the oscillation is determined, and the phase signal is determined at a number of points in time such that a time profile of the phase signal results from which a time profile of the deflection or deflection rate of the wave excited in the tissue can be determined.
18 . (canceled)
19 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , characterized in that the time profile of the deflection or deflection rate is correlated to a harmonic oscillator function, wherein the harmonic oscillator function has an oscillation frequency which corresponds to the frequency of the wave excited in the tissue.
20 . The method as claimed in claim 10 , characterized in that a time profile of the amplitude of the deflection and/or of the amplitude of the deflection rate is determined from the time profile of the phase signal.
21 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , characterized in that an amplitude A of the wave excited in the tissue by the frequency ω is determined at different times t from the deflection rate {dot over (u)} of the oscillation as follows:
A
(
t
)
=
1
N
π
∫
t
t
+
Δ
t
u
.
exp
(
ω
τ
)
τ
;
with
Δ
t
=
N
·
2
π
ω
,
N
=
1
,
2
,
3
,
…
22 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , characterized in that an amplitude A of the wave excited in the tissue by the frequency ω is determined at different times t from the deflection u of the oscillation as follows:
A
(
t
)
=
ω
N
π
∫
t
t
+
Δ
t
u
exp
(
ω
τ
)
τ
;
with
Δ
t
=
N
·
2
π
ω
,
N
=
1
,
2
,
3
,
…
23 . (canceled)
24 . (canceled)
25 . An apparatus for the elastographic examination of tissue, with
deflection determination means for determining a deflection and/or deflection rate of mechanical waves excited in the tissue which oscillate predominately or exclusively transversely with respect to the direction of propagation thereof, wherein the tissue has first elastic properties at a first point in time and second elastic properties at a second point in time, which second elastic properties differ from the first elastic properties; and the deflection determination means are designed and provided to determine a first deflection or deflection rate at the first point in time and a second deflection or deflection rate at the second point in time.
26 . (canceled)
27 . (canceled)
28 . (canceled)
29 . (canceled)
30 . (canceled)Join the waitlist — get patent alerts
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